Contributed by Erica Schneider, Parks & Trails New York
Imagine you’re a self-supported touring cyclist and you’re nearing the end of a long, sweltering day on the trail. You don’t know a single soul in the town you’re approaching, except for one gracious stranger (soon to be friend!) who has responded to your message on Warmshowers.org and has offered to put you up for the night. Never has the prospect of air conditioning and a shower sounded so welcome. And the opportunity to get to know a local and chat about their hometown? Priceless!
What is Warm Showers?
Warm Showers is a free, worldwide hospitality exchange for touring cyclists. People who are willing to host touring cyclists sign up and provide their contact information, with the idea that cyclists may occasionally request to come stay with them and share great stories and a drink. All members, even those currently out touring, agree to host others either now or in the future in order to continue the reciprocal nature.
Being a Warm Showers host can take many different forms. It may look like offering a spare bedroom and sharing a home-cooked dinner, or be as simple as allowing cyclists to camp in their backyard. In order to give everyone confidence in each other, hosts are never obligated to accept requests, and can always review a potential guest’s profile and reviews from previous hosts. Hosts can also set guidelines or house rules to provide expectations before agreeing to host.
Just along the Erie Canalway Trail, there are close to one hundred active hosts who open up their homes to cyclists traveling the trail. There are many hosts concentrated in some of the bigger cities along the trail, like Rochester and Buffalo. It’s great to have so many hosts in these areas, but touring cyclists are particularly grateful when Warm Showers hosts pop up in areas where there aren’t many other options for accommodations, especially in some of the smaller cities and towns or rural areas.
Everybody wins
While the cyclists on the receiving end might seem like they’re getting the sweeter end of the deal, the hosts get an opportunity to share an evening with a fellow like-minded soul and revel in their adventure. The Erie Canalway Trail/Empire State Trail attracts touring cyclists from all over the country and the world, from California to Florida and Germany to Australia. By volunteering to be a host, it’s like getting to travel without ever having to leave your home! As a host, you also get to share your love for your community, whether by showing off your favorite ice cream shop or by telling local lore over a drink.
As both a host and recipient of the Warm Showers community’s generosity, I can attest that I have never had a negative experience on either end. I will be forever grateful to the hosts who welcomed me into their homes on my own cross-country bike tour, as well as the guests who have inspired me with their tales from the road. Just from single evenings of shared conversation, I have made friendships with folks from all over the world that will last long into the future.
Seem like something you might be interested in? Learn more and sign up at Warmshowers.org
Canalway Trail Times 